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All eyes are on the XBOX ONE as it promises to deliver an out of this world gaming experience, but will it’s interactive advancements push the limits of invasiveness?

Coming from the pixelated gaming of the original Atari…advancements in technology now allow us to log in and play while chatting with people from all over the world in shockingly real 3d imagery. Parents today also complain about not being able to get their pubescent kids or even their significant others to plug themselves out of the Matrix(Videogames). Microsoft has taken it one step further allowing 24/7 accessibility to the dreaded blackbox(console) with it’s new voice activated capability of simply saying the word “Xbox on” which would activate the console to engage. Now although this sounds pretty cool, understand that the Xbox would have to listen to EVERY SINGLE word you are saying just incase you tell it to turn on.

Another strange constant is the new Xbox one will have the Kinect(a device that captures motion and sound) bundled into one, and it’s camera and mic will always be on by default. Infact, Xbox One will actually refuse to work if the Kinect is not connected and its camera and mic will work even when the console is turned off. Even if the Xbox One provides the option of turning off the camera and mic of the console, history shows that these options could easily be overridden remotely by any organization or creep with some technological capability.

These uncalled for capabilities are enough to lift some eyebrows. Similar to sites like facebook that can track your every move on the worldwide web to feed personal data about your whereabouts to third parties, the new Xbox One which needs internet connectivity to work will also be capable of recording your every move, reaction rates, etc. There are also talks of charging Pay-per-view movies PER PERSON in the room. (WHAT!)

I’m not much of a gamer and whiIe I am sure there will be other great features to the new Xbox One including stunning new 3D graphics… this privacy breach leaves me and my wallet pretty uneasy to purchase one. What do you think?

One of the hottest cars to come out in recent years for the “I can afford” a 100k+ car has been the Porsche Panamera. The four door sleek/turtleback monster is a constant head turner and also has a great ride. (Side note: I got to drive one in San Fran). With the trend of “All Black Everything” being popular, car owners have started to blackout their cars and Panamera owners followed suit. I must admit the few matte black ones I’ve seen look kool, but there is a Carbon Edition I read about and recently found a video on that has me all up in arms because I didn’t think there was anything else you could do to make a car even better. The Carbon Edition is crazy. If you are into cars or just into design you will like it. Meet the Panamera Carbon

Tomorrow night Cain Velasquezwill step in the octagon in Las Vegas for UFC160. He will be fighting “Bigfoot” for the second time. This time the stakes are higher because Cain is the UFC Heavyweight Champion and he plans on keeping his belt. The stakes are also higher because the first fight Cain dominated Bigfoot and it ended in the first round so there are some critics out there thinking that the first fight was a fluke and you can somewhat understand how they could get to that conclusion. In this sport all it takes is one hit or move and it’s over. Cain was the victim of getting clipped and he lost his title because of it. Critics spoke and said Cain’s loss was a fluke, and you could say they were right because how he dominated Junior in the rematch to regain his title.

This rematch will be much different. Cain stated that he prepared for this fight like the first fight never happened. He is going in to work his game plan and defend his title. Losing his title before was a feeling he never wants to feel again. He came in this sport to be the top guy and that is where he plans to stay for some time. So all those critics that think the first fight was a fluke, Cain this time will not prove you right.

Burgers , hotdogs and steaks…Oh MY! Yes, we are counting down to the Memorial Day Weekend which is only but a few hours away. Although the main attraction is the unbridled feast of smoked out goodness…we can’t help but look forward to the flowing fountains of drinks! Good draft beer usually never disappoints…but how about changing it up this weekend with a few new drink twists? Well… we’ve concocted a few weekend drink recipes that are sure to please those that want a lil sum’n-sum’n in their cup or for those weak at heart!Red White and Blue Margherita

Directions
In a bucket glass with some ice muddle the blackberries, blueberries and with limes. Pour into a cocktail shaker and add agave nectar, Hum and rum. Shake well and strain back into a bucket glass filled with ice. Top it off with ginger beer. Garnish with blackberries and lime.

Aqua Fresco (For the Faint)

Step One: Choose your flavors.
Try pairing a sweet fruit with a tart citrus. Or a mild veg with an herb.

Step Two: Choose your liquid.I like to use sparkling mineral water because I like my frescos fizzy. But still water works too. Just make sure it is chilled. You can also add a splash of something sweet. I like to add a splash of fresh orange juice or something fizzy like sparkling lemon, peach, apple or orange soda.

Step Three: Choose your sweetener.
I like agave syrup because it easily dissolves into the water – and acts as a simple syrup.
Step Four: Prep your fruit.
You will need a good amount of fruit per glass since this will be what flavors your water. Adding frozen fruit can be very helpful because as the frozen fruit melts into the water it easily saturates the water with flavor. (For instance, drop a fresh blueberry into water and not much will happen. But drop a frozen blueberry into water and it will turn blue!) Frozen fruit also chills your beverage nicely. Another trick is to gently mash some of your fresh fruit to release the flavor.
Step Five: Assembly.
Add your fruit, sweetener, water to your serving glass. Stir/mash briskly and allow to chill in the fridge until ready to serve.Uncle Sam-Tini

What to do:
1. Place ice cubes into martini glasses. Transfer glasses to freezer to chill while you’re preparing drinks.
2. Into a cocktail shaker filled half way with ice cubes add: island punch pucker, vodka, cointreau, agave nectar. Place top onto shaker. Shake until chilled.
3. Place sugar onto a shallow dish. Remove glasses from freezer. Discard ice. Invert glasses, place into sugar dish and gently twist until you have created a sugar rim.
4. Strain mixture equally between two glasses. Garnish with cherries.

Yahoo made some major waves when they announced this week that they would be buying Tumblr. The $1.1 Billion buyout is definitely a mega deal, and it is a tactic for Yahoo to go very strong at the Social Media space. Yahoo which was once one of the most innovative and “tech forward” companies online has been struggling to get back to a place of being relevant again.

The problem is that Yahoo has developed a terrible reputation for making things “uncool” and that makes any moves very difficult, especially in a highly skeptical internet community. The Tweets are already swirling! Perhaps the saving grace to this deal is just how “cool” Tumblr really is or at least is perceived to be. David Karp has done a great job developing the blogging platform that is for the cool kids and has never really “sold out”. Perhaps until now???

It will be interesting to see if Yahoo and Tumblr can combine to make a baby that will be well received and universally used. You wouldn’t think that the active and proud Tumblr users would just jump ship, but you never know. Typically things are cool until the masses learn about it and start using it and that is exactly when the cool kids leave and go looking for the next big thing! Read here for a little more on the big story!

While working (Read: Surfing the internet) today I came across this awesome list of Faces in Every Day Objects. If you already clicked through to the article, Yes it is the “Bored Panda” a beacon of great news and content! LOL

Since I clearly have nothing better to do with my time, certain things really grab my attention and I hope you will like them too. I found some of them to be so interesting that I just felt compelled to share. Which one was your favorite? SEE LIST HERE

Think Yoga is just another new age trendy thing that annoying people do? Think again! We all know that women love it, but when a woman hears that a man does yoga, they will assume all kinds of wonderful things about you. They’ll think you’re in touch with the earth, in touch with your body, and an all around sensitive human. Yea, we know. Probably not the case. Still. Aside from the courting benefits of yoga, it is actually incredibly healthy for your body. It may not get you ripped, but it will improve your flexibility. Hey, that counts for something right?

Do you spend a lot of your day sitting down? Maybe you work at an office, or maybe you’re in school and spend hours seated in the classroom and in front of your computer. If so, your posture is probably a mess, and you may experience some lower back and hip pain. This video shows a stretch you can do from any chair at your convenience. It takes less than 2 minutes and will make your life better. No matter where you are or what you are doing.

All you have to do is cross your foot over the opposite leg, lean forward and breathe. Do the same thing on the other side, and repeat. Obviously, it won’t replace your gym workout or evening run, but it’s always good to take a breather and pay attention to something other than a computer screen. If you’re interested in more exercises like this, check out the side panel on this video. There are plenty of 2-minute office yoga videos for your enjoyment. Not only will you be a bit more flexible and stretched out – you’ll be able to say “I do yoga.” Plus, the chick in the video is sorta cute. WATCH HERE!

If you’re an 80’s baby like me…you marveled at the possibility that everything you saw in the movie “back to the future”…could one day be a reality. Fast forward to 2013, and although innovations in technology now allow us 24/7 social engagement and accessibility to everything at our fingertips…the fact that we haven’t seen a flying car just yet…could actually make one not realize how far we’ve come. Corning has allowed us to stop and smell the technology with their latest simulation of what is on the horizon for us in the very near future. Can you imagine organizing your daily schedule with a few touches on your bathroom mirror? Changing the look of your car dashboard with a quick swipe? Reading a classic novel on a whisper-thin piece of flexible glass? Corning is not only imagining those scenarios – the company is engaged in research that could bring them alive in the not-too-distant future using n sleek, flexible, touch-sensitive, and damage-resistant glass materials as the solution.

Are you bored at work? Watching the clock with literally nothing to do? Are you a student looking for a new way to procrastinate finishing your thesis? We all turn to the Internet for better alternatives to all of the things we don’t want to do. As if Google doesn’t offer enough opportunities for distraction already, they’ve stepped up their game. You can now play Atari Breakout. FOR FREE!

Go to Google Images (www.google.com/images), and type “Atari Breakout” into the search bar. The screen will transform into a Breakout game complete with the sound effects and almost the same layout of the classic Atari masterpiece. We all love the holiday themed interactive search bars they come up with, but this is the best “Easter egg” they’ve given us yet.

Atari Breakout was created in the late 1970s, but anyone who grew up in the 80s or even the early 90s can recall plenty of hours in front of one of the earliest and most beloved video game systems. Atari was around long before Blizzard, 2K, and Electronic Arts, and it paved the way for all the modern games we know and love. Thanks to Google, you can now take a free 5-minute nostalgia trip anytime you feel like it.

The game will keep track of your high score, so you can start a friendly competition amongst friends or office mates. According to some Twitter boasts, Breakout aficionados have racked up to 2,000 points. Get on top of those bricks! It will be 5:00 before you know it.

Disclaimer: We are not responsible if you get fired or lose your job for playing games on company time. That being said. Have fun! CLICK HERE TO GET THERE

Who remembers our grunge loving character LOU from the early years of Lugz?

LOU AFTER A NIGHT IN THE MASH PIT

Lou was always in some sort of trouble – whether it was watching Killerbands, eating Corndogs or stomping on Prom Queens. One thing was for certain – he did Love his Lugz! And it was always an adventure hearing what he was up to.

Here are some of the “Best of Lou” radio spots. You judge for yourself!

Legal Disclaimer: The images, video and music posted on this blog are not owned by Lugz or its parent company. No implied endorsement should be established. Unless specified that Lugz is directly associated with the post. This blog is an expression of interest of the contributors and their view of what is happening in the marketplace.